Dig This!

Moonflowers! Have you ever seen one? Moonflower  vine has bright white flowers that bloom in the evening just as the sun sets. Butterflies! This is butterfly season. There are lots of photos of caterpillars, crysalises and butterflies everywhere. Here are a few taken by Master Gardeners. Monarch caterpillars snacking on milkweed. Monarch caterpillars have thin stripes of black, yellow and white. Black swallowtails have a stripe pattern that includes dots of yellow, or sometimes orange. Monarchs never have dots, only stripes. Swallowtail eggs on a stalk of fennel. Swallowtail caterpillar Swallowtail chrysalis. Black Swallowtail butterfly ready to fly away. Monarch butterfly Yellow Swallowtail Thanks, Dee, Becky and Bonnie. For more photos, see our Facebook page.

These photos were sent to a Master Gardener who graciously allowed us to share them. Ron and Dee had another hummingbird get into the rafters in the garage, but weren't able to lure it out. When they opened up the garage the next morning, the little guy was lying on the concrete, exhausted and with cobwebs stuck to his wings.  Dee was able to gently remove the cobwebs and tried to get the bird to drink some hummingbird nectar from a little dish, but he was so weak he kept falling in. Ron found a syringe and proceeded to feed him droplets of nectar. He ate for about 15 minutes with a tongue that  was thinner than hair and unbelievably long. They left him to rest and when Dee checked on him about 20 minutes later, he was still there. (Typical male....left a mess before leaving.)  Dee stroked his back gently with her finger and off he flew!   Now, if they can only figure out how to keep these little guys OUT of Ron's garage in the first place!   Then came the butterflies!